Formulating Cost-Effective Data Distribution Strategies Online for Edge Cache Systems

Abstract

Edge Computing (EC) enables a new kind of caching system in close geographic proximity to end-users by allowing app vendors to cache popular data on edge servers deployed at base stations. This edge cache system can better support latency-sensitive applications. However, transmitting data from the centralized cloud to the edge servers without proper transmission strategies may cost app vendors dearly. Cost-effective data distribution strategies are of particular importance for applications, whose data to be cached at the edge often changes dynamically. In this paper, we study this <i>Online Edge Data Distribution</i> (OEDD) problem, aiming to minimize app vendors’ total transmission cost, while ensuring low transmission latency in the long term. We first model this problem and prove its <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathcal {NP}$</tex-math></inline-formula> -hardness. We then combine Lyapunov optimization and game theory to propose a novel Latency-Aware Online (LAO) approach for solving this OEDD problem over time in a distributed manner with provable performance guarantees. The evaluation of LAO based on a real-world dataset demonstrates that it can help app vendors formulate cost-effective edge data distribution strategies in an online manner.